The long road
by JolinarJackson
Summary: The firsts in Jack and Ianto's relationship starting with the first day at work. Told in twenty-four drabbles.


**The long road**

_Word Count: _Twenty-four Drabbles equal 2.400 words

_Summary: _The firsts in Jack and Ianto's relationship starting with the first day at work. Told in twenty-four drabbles.

_Characters: _Jack Harkness, Ianto Jones, Toshiko Sato, Owen Harper, Gwen Cooper, John Hart

_Pairing__: _Jack/Ianto, Jack/John Hart, Ianto/Lisa (hinted), Tosh/Mary (hinted)

_Rating:_ NC-17_  
Spoiler: Cyberwoman, Greeks bearing gifts, End of days, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Fragments  
Setting:_ Pre-series, after _Cyberwoman_, after _Countrycide_, after _Greeks bearing gifts_, after _End of days_, during _Kiss Kiss Bang Bang_, after _Kiss Kiss Bang Bang  
__Warnings: _Jack Death, a hint of kinky sex_  
Author's Note: _Written for the tw_classics challenge _#001 – Firsts_. I'm assuming that the team knew about Jack's immortality even before _End of Days_. It was never really said in the show.

_Feedback:_ Can't breathe without it.

_Beta by: _alt_universe_me who really helped me out with a few of these by making sure that I didn't get too cliché. I hope it worked.

_Disclaimer: _I'm not making money with this fanfic. The tv-show _Torchwood_ and the characters appearing within it belong to their producers and creators. Any similarities to living or dead persons are purely coincidental and not intended.

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**First day**

On his first day, Ianto learned that Torchwood Cardiff was different from London. More laid-back. Messier. Torchwood London had always been proper and formal. They didn't even wear suits here.

Jack wasn't there.

"He's at the prime minister's. He'll be back tomorrow," Owen said.

Ianto spent the day cleaning. He was on his knees near the med bay, scrubbing the floor, when Owen said, "Down on your knees on your first day – now I know why Jack hired you."

Suzie laughed.

Later, Tosh gave him a friendly smile. "Don't let them get to you."

He nodded.

**First look**

Ianto was organizing the files at Owen's workstation the next day when he looked up and met Jack's blue eyes. Jack grinned and Ianto held his gaze before he ducked his head, closing his eyes. It was obvious that Jack hadn't hired him just for his looks. He seemed to genuinely think that Ianto could do this job and that he could trust him unconditionally. Ianto decided to be the best support officer Jack could wish for. At least until Lisa was healed; then they would be leaving Cardiff for good. He raised his head again. Jack was still looking.

**First words**

"Ianto, drop the 'sir'."

Ianto gave a small smile. "I'm just used to it."

"We're less formal here."

Ianto nodded. "I noticed."

Jack grinned. "Sorry about the mess we made of the place."

"Not a problem, sir."

"Jack."

Ianto fought to keep the smile in place. 'Jack' was intimate and friendly, things Ianto couldn't afford to be. It would be a first step down a road he didn't want to take.

"Even though 'sir' is kind of kinky," Jack grinned.

Maybe a road he would have to take after all, Ianto thought.

**First touch**

It was a warm hand at the small of Ianto's back, guiding him into Jack's office. Jack kept his hand there when he kicked the door to his realm shut. Then it slipped from Ianto's back over his hip and away when Jack left him to sit in his chair behind the desk. Ianto's fingers tightened around the file he was holding and Jack clasped his hand on his desk, looking at him. Ianto tried to think of Lisa's fingers on the nape of his neck and he failed whenever he remembered the warm touch of the captain's large hands.

**First favour**

Jack was frustrated. UNIT wanted him to come in and talk about Tosh. Owen and Suzie didn't know but Jack had told Ianto. UNIT wanted to make sure that Tosh was a viable asset of Jack's team and he wasn't sure if there was a hidden agenda behind the meeting.

"You want me to handle this?" Ianto asked.

Jack looked at him in puzzlement. "What?"

Ianto explained, "I know someone from UNIT. She could tell me what they're after. You could prepare accordingly for the meeting."

Jack stared at him, then he grinned. "You're an angel."

**First kiss**

Ever since Lisa was settled in, Ianto spent much of his time in the archives near her room – even some nights, unnoticed by the others. Jack found out. Ianto lied, telling him that he was having trouble sleeping.

"Canary Wharf?" Jack asked. Ianto nodded. Jack took to spending time with him in the archives after that admission. When he kissed Ianto, the younger man forced himself not to pull away. Jack's lips were soft and warm and the kiss wasn't unpleasant. Ianto was the one who deepened it and he told himself that he was doing it for Lisa.

**First doubts**

When Jack pushed him against the wall of the archives a few days later, lips sealed to Ianto's and hands untucking his shirt, Ianto couldn't do it. He pushed Jack away gently. Jack cupped his cheek tenderly and whispered, "I'll be careful."

Ianto wanted to tell him that he didn't hesitate because it would be his first time with a man. He wanted to tell him about Lisa, how he betrayed him and that he was so sorry. Instead he said, "Just ... another time?"

Jack nodded.

Later, Ianto sat in the chair in Lisa's room, choking on silent sobs.

**First time**

Ianto's fingers were entwined with Jack's, squeezing so hard that his knuckles were white. Jack was pinning him to the narrow bed, his forehead pressed to Ianto's, his eyes seemingly looking right into Ianto's soul. Their sweat-slick bodies weren't moving, just resting on Jack's bed, wrapped around one another. Jack kissed him and moved his hips, swallowing the pained whimper that escaped the younger man. "The first time always hurts. It'll stop." Jack smiled tenderly. "Trust me."

Ianto nodded shakily. Pain turned into something else soon, something Ianto had never anticipated. He let himself fall, trusting Jack to catch him.

**First fight**

"What did I ever do to you?" Jack asked when they were alone in the basement. Ianto stared at Lisa's dead body and didn't answer. Jack grabbed his arm. "You caused an innocent girl's death." Ianto sobbed. Jack's voice hitched when he said, "I should kill you."

Ianto whispered, "Yes, sir. Please."

Instead, Jack grabbed Ianto's chin and forced him to look up at him. "You have no right to demand anything." He turned away. "Go home. Tomorrow, you'll help us clean this mess up. After, you're on suspension until further notice."

And somehow that hurt more than a bullet.

**First "I'm sorry"**

The car ride back to Cardiff was quiet. Gwen and Owen had left the village a while ago in an ambulance and Tosh was sleeping in the back seat. Ianto stared out the passenger window and tried to ignore the pain every part of his body was radiating. Jack took Ianto's hand, placing a tender kiss on the knuckles. Something shifted and the awkwardness that had reigned between them the last few weeks was gone.

"I'm sorry," Ianto whispered and he meant Lisa and that he'd hurt Jack.

Jack's warm breath brushed his hand and the captain said, "Me too."

**First hug**

Jack cupped the back of Ianto's head with one hand in Ianto's living room later that day. "Tell me what you need." Ianto bit his lip and ducked his head. A hand tilted his face up. "Tell me."

Ianto's hand held onto Jack's coat, pulling the older man a bit closer, seeking warmth. "Please." Then he pushed his face into Jack's shoulder and wrapped his arms around him. "Please." He didn't need to tell Jack that it had been a long time since anyone had just hugged him. Jack knew because it had been a long time for him, too.

**First night**

The nightmares were putting a strain on Ianto's frayed nerves. Lisa's birthday came and went and all he remembered about it were Weevil hunts and Tosh trying to overcome Mary's death. It was late at night and Ianto was organizing the files on Jack's desk when the captain said, "Tosh thinks you're suicidal."

Ianto didn't need to ask why. "I'm not. I just … can't sleep."

Jack took his hand. "I can help."

A few minutes later, Ianto was lying curled up around Jack in the captain's bed. It was the first time they spent the night just sleeping together.

**First make-up sex**

Ianto gasped, tightening his legs around Jack's hips and tugged him down for a kiss. Jack groaned and wrapped a hand around Ianto's nape, pulling him up to kneel on his bed with Ianto straddling his lap. He bent his neck and lapped at the the junction of Ianto's neck and shoulder, tasting sweat. Ianto moaned and rolled his hips, fucking himself on Jack until he cried out and came, pulling Jack with him over the edge. They collapsed on Jack's bed, breathless and grinning.

"That was unexpected," Ianto panted.

Jack grinned. "Should have done that weeks ago."

Ianto laughed.

**First shower**

The water was hot and Ianto relaxed, then he grinned up at Jack. "This is really good."

"Told you so."

Ianto leaned up to drop a kiss on Jack's lips. The captain grinned. "Showering with a lover. The best there is." His hand slipped down to rest on Ianto's hip. "Slick skin." A kiss. "And shower gel."

Ianto gasped when one of Jack's finger's breached him unexpectedly.

"You were planning this," he failed at sounding exasperated.

"Of course," Jack answered. "I always do." He nuzzled Ianto's cheek. "Showering with a lover, check. Next lesson – having sex in the shower."

**First "I miss you"**

"Is Myfanwy on her best behaviour?" Jack asked, mobile pressed against his ear. He was bored out of his mind. This meeting with Torchwood Two was hell. He wished Ianto could have come with him but he didn't want to take him away from the team in case they needed a spare field agent.

"As always," Ianto said.

It was quiet for a while, just their breathing coming down the line, before Jack asked softly, "Miss me?"

"No," Ianto answered unconvincingly.

"Yeah, you do," Jack grinned.

Ianto smiled. "Yes."

"I miss you, too."

**First wake**

Owen tried to pry Ianto's hands away from Jack's dead body but the younger man wouldn't let him. A stupid accident. An electric shock from the generator.

Owen addressed Tosh. "You alright?"

"Me? Sure. Why?"

"You wanted to repair that generator. You could be dead by now. Jack will stand up again, but-"

"Owen," Gwen hissed furiously.

Ianto could feel their eyes on him. "He feels pain, you know," he said. Owen had the decency to look chastened.

Jack's hand cupped Ianto's cheek. "It's alright," he smiled, still weak.

"It's not," Ianto answered.

**First kinky sex**

Ianto had never been a kinky kind of guy. He didn't think that it would give him more than vanilla sex could. He'd been wrong.

He smiled now, looking down at Jack and keeping his lips just out of reach while Jack, tied to the headboard, desperately strained to kiss him. Ianto gave a grind and Jack groaned, trying to urge Ianto to thrust deeper, but the younger man shook his head. "You wanna come?" he asked. "You have to earn it."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Vanilla my ass," he panted. "It's my turn next time."

**First break-up**

It wasn't really a break-up, but Ianto had ended relationships before and this felt like one.

Jack was gone. Without a word.

At first they'd thought that something had taken him, but a news report about an opera in the Millennium Centre had shown them the truth. The reporter had stood on the Roald Dahl Plass – and behind her, a blue police box. In Torchwood One, Ianto had heard that the Doctor was using such a police box.

Jack with his talk about the "right kind of doctor". He'd left them ... he'd left Ianto and it hurt.

**First jealousy**

Ianto narrowed his eyes, staring at Jack and John Hart in the dimly-lit corridor of the vaults. They hadn't seen him yet.

"C'mon, Jack," John drawled. He dropped a tender kiss on Jack's lips and Ianto swallowed thickly when Jack didn't move away. The archivist cleared his throat and strode towards them. "Eye candy," John said. "Wanna join us?"

Ianto ignored him, grabbed Jack's braces and pulled him into a searing kiss, making it obvious that their tongues were involved. He broke the lip-lock, looked at John and said, "I think we can manage without you."

**First date**

Ianto looked at Jack when the captain parked the SUV. "Thank you."

Jack smiled at him. "You're welcome."

Ianto leaned over to kiss Jack and the captain cupped the back of Ianto's head, nibbling at his lip teasingly. Ianto pulled back. "Against the rules," he said.

"Damn rules!"

"You made them," Ianto laughed. "No sex before the third date." Jack rolled his eyes. Ianto opened the car door. "We'll do that again?"

"Yeah."

Ianto made to shut the door, then he paused and asked, "You want to come up for coffee?"

**First dance**

It was stupid and Ianto should feel silly but instead he felt happy and warm. Jack was humming softly into his ear to Glenn Miller and pulled him closer, one hand around Ianto's waist, the other cradling Ianto's hand to his chest. Jack's office wasn't very romantic. But they had to cancel their date because the Rift was acting up and these few minutes were the first today everything was quiet. Ianto closed his eyes and forgot about the office and the team bickering just outside the door. He listened to the music and Jack humming while they danced slowly.

**First personal item**

"You forgot your toothbrush at my flat," Ianto said.

Jack looked up from his papers. "I didn't."

"Yes, you did."

"I didn't. I left it there on purpose."

Ianto stared at him. Jack frowned. "Is that okay?"

"Sure," Ianto answered hurriedly.

Jack shook his head. "Tell me the truth."

Ianto said, "It's … unexpected."

"But okay?" Jack asked.

Ianto nodded. "That's …" He smiled helplessly.

"Just more practical," Jack nodded. "I spend so much time at yours."

Ianto cleared his throat, trying for casual. "Practical. Of course."

**First photograph**

Jack remembered Gwen and Tosh being all over the idea to take a few pictures of the team. "Something to remember the good times by," Gwen had said.

Three days later, Jack found an envelope on his desk and in it, a post-it note attached to a photo: Ianto perched on Jack's desk and Jack sitting on his chair between Ianto's legs. They were looking at each other with a smile, Ianto's hand in Jack's hair and Jack's hand on Ianto's thigh.

The note said: _Picture perfect._

There was no signature but Jack knew that it was from Tosh.

**First "I love you"**

Ianto was in the kitchen, complaining about Jack's dirty towels on his bathroom floor and about Jack not taking out the trash. Jack answered by wrapping Ianto in his arms. "I love you."

Ianto seemed dumbstruck, then he cleared his throat. "I love you, too."

They kissed, Ianto's fingers tangling in Jack's dark hair. "Now," Ianto said, "even though that's nice, you're not getting out of taking out the trash."

"Do I have to?" Jack asked.

"Remember," Ianto smiled overly sweet, "you love me."

Jack sighed and answered, "As you wish, sir."

END

08/10


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